|
DRIVERS: Jenson BUTTON
(Honda) Timo GLOCK (Toyota) Robert KUBICA (BMW Sauber) Kazuki NAKAJIMA
(Williams)
Q: Jenson, your thoughts about this circuit?
Jenson BUTTON: This is an interesting circuit, I find. It is very different
to most places we go. There are a lot of very late apexes and it is very,
very different to most. Last year we went well in the wet conditions. I am
not sure if it is going to be the same situation this year. From looking at
our weather forecast it is not going to be anywhere near as wet as last year
either, so we don’t really know how we are going to fare until we drive
tomorrow. But it is nice to be back and it is nice to be back in Japan. I
have had a good time this week. We had an event on Sunday which was good fun
and it has been a nice few days relaxing in Tokyo.
Q: Looking ahead to next year, what are your expectations and hopes?
JB: Every team will say they are going to be quicker next year than this
year, they are going to build a good car. There is one thing we can’t do and
that’s make a slow car. I am positive for next year and hopefully I will be
with Honda next season and we can build a very competitive car. I know that
the team will do a great job in building a new car. It’s what other people
do, that’s what we have got to wait and see.
Q: There will be a lot of changes next year with the new regulations. But
you are not confirmed at this stage for next year?
JB: No.
Q: When are you expecting an announcement?
JB: We are not in a rush, it’s fine. But as you said there is a lot changing
next year which makes it very exciting. Ross is very good at new regulations
and I am looking forward to it, driving with slick tyres and new aero spec
and obviously the KERS. There is a lot to play with there and a lot for us
to get right.
 Q:
Kazuki-san, your first full season of Formula One. Has it been easier or
more difficult than you thought?
Kazuki NAKAJIMA: I would say whilst not easy, probably it was similar to
what I expected. But I think I could improve myself all the time until the
last race. At the beginning of the year I think our car was a bit more
competitive and there was a bit more chance to have a good result. We had
quite a few good results in the first half of the season and then from half
way in some races in the middle of the season we had a lot of difficult
races but I had a feeling I was improving all the time and at the last race
in Singapore we had a very good result again, so I am quite happy with my
first season.
Q: And of course your home race. Has there been more pressure than you
expected?
KN: No, at the moment I am very relaxed. I feel excited for the first drive
in F1 at this track. It has been quite busy from last Saturday to yesterday,
but actually it was very good fun and for me it allowed me to forget about
the racing a little bit. Tomorrow will be the first proper job for us and I
just feel excited.
Q: And you have been confirmed for next year. Does that take a little bit of
pressure off your shoulders?
KN: Yeah, I think so. I feel in a good way and feel relaxed after the
announcement. For the last three races I can be a bit more relaxed in a good
way and I can push a bit harder and try to get something more. I am really
excited to know that I can drive for Williams next year. Next year is going
to be very interesting. I am sure everybody is hoping to be good for next
year and I believe the team can do a good job for next year.
Q: Are we finally going to see your father this weekend?
KN: I am not sure. He will be here but I don’t know if he will come to the
paddock or not. Maybe he will stay somewhere behind.
Q: Timo, you don’t have any worries about next year as you were confirmed
quite some time ago or even when you first signed.
Timo GLOCK: Yeah, for me it was quite clear that next year I am at Toyota
again. That put me in a quite nice first year, a quite comfortable position.
I am happy. Next year everything will change with the regulations and I
think it will be really interesting, nobody knows so far where the teams
are. But first testing I am looking forward to it and back to slick tyres is
another good point for myself.
Q: And another home race in many ways for Toyota and yourself.
TG: Yeah, it will be quite special. It is my first time here in Fuji and
first time with Toyota together and so far I have enjoyed the time quite a
lot. I have been here since Friday last week and had a couple of events, PR
and marketing stuff. It was good fun. I have met a lot of fans already that
support us and hopefully they will give us a little bit extra boost here and
we can fight back against Renault in the Constructors’ Championship.
Q: Looking back on what is your first full year in Formula One, what has
been the impression of your and your team’s performance?
TG: I mean when I see the start from my side it was quite difficult to adapt
myself to the car. When you see the points standing and you see the first
five races and every time a zero, zero, zero it was not a perfect start but
I think at the end it is exactly what I expected. It would be tough in the
first half of the year and then you work yourself up step by step and that
is what we did. And since Canada, at Hockenheim we had a good pace but
unfortunately we crashed in the race and Budapest that is the highlight of
my first Formula One season. Being on the podium was quite a good step and
hopefully the last three races we can keep it up like this.
Q: Robert, you have been confirmed as staying with BMW as well. It was
probably not news to you. What are your general feelings after that?
Robert KUBICA: I think when you are saying it was not news for me, I think
you are wrong. I knew it not a long time ago. The team communicated last
Monday that we would stay with Nick as team-mates for next year. I am as
always looking for a new challenge. A new year, new regulations and a new
car and the same team, so we will see.
Q: You are still in championship contention. What are your feelings about
the championship?
RK: Well, I think mathematically I am still there as a couple of more
drivers are as well, Kimi and Nick, but it is quite hard to be 20 points
behind. There are two cars in front of me, two drivers which in normal
conditions are quicker and in better shape. Also if you compare the first
half of the season where I was closing the gap until after Canada where I
was leading the championship, now the situation is completely the opposite.
I am losing the gap to the leader. For sure it will be difficult but while
there is a chance I will try my best as usual and try to score as many
points as possible and try to be more lucky as lately luck is not really
there for me.
Q: You qualified ninth here last year and finished seventh in the race. What
are your feelings about the circuit? Would you prefer it to be wet on
Sunday?
RK: As Jenson said, the track is quite different. For me the corners have
quite a different radius with a late apex. Quite a lot of the corners are
blind, so you don’t see the inside kerb. It’s quite a good challenge, I
would say. It didn’t look like it from the outside, when I first came here
last year but once I’d done my first laps in a Formula One car here I
enjoyed it. We didn’t have a lot of dry running last year. It looks like the
weather forecast is better this year. For the race, I think a wet race would
be quite a big lottery. Last year I was doing a pretty good race but I got a
drive-through penalty for contact with Lewis and so I lost quite a lot of
places and finished quite far down. We will see. I think a wet race would
again mix up the cars. Again, I think Toro Rosso and Red Bull Racing may be
strong again, as they were last year, so we will see.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Alastair Himmer – Reuters) Robert, your thoughts about the Canadian
Grand Prix being dropped from the calendar. It was obviously a special event
for you.
RK: This was the latest news that I heard this morning. Well, it’s not my
decision. Of course, I would like to race again in Canada as I won this year
and last year we were also very strong: Nick finished second. That’s how it
is and we will see.
Q: (Dan Knutson – National Speed Sport News) Robert, how important is it for
you to have continuity with your team-mate?
RK: I think I have quite a lot of experience working with Nick. I think we
are doing a good job. Of course a new team-mate will give you some new
information and maybe there is new stuff you can learn from it but I think
Nick is doing a good job, so there is no point from my side not to be happy
that he is again with me and we are racing together. I think we are in a
good position for next year, we know each other pretty well and we know the
team, so the continuity is very important as teamwork together, and that’s
what we are trying to do.
Q: (Adam Hay-Nicholls – Metro) Robert, how did you get on in your recent
bowling tournament?
RK: (Laughs) Pretty OK. I take bowling as a fun thing. Lately I have played
some top level tournaments, like the European bowling tour. It was just
because my friends were playing there, so I joined them. It was OK. In
Vienna I played pretty well. I was a bit sick, so not in the best condition
but it was still quite a good challenge and good fun.
Q: (Adam Hay-Nicholls – Metro) Where did you come overall in Vienna?
RK: I don’t know the exact position but I qualified for the finals, so the
top 64 out of 320 players, I think.
Q: (Dan Knutson – National Speed Sport News) Could I ask the other three
drivers about Montreal, one of the greatest cities we go to. The track was
breaking up, so that was a shame, so what are your thoughts about not going
back to Montreal?
JB: I’ve obviously spent a few years racing in Montreal. I love the city. I
think it’s a great city and you’re right, it’s one of the best races to go
for, for the nightlife – it’s a lot of fun. The circuit itself? As you said,
it was breaking up quite a bit over the last couple of years and causing a
lot of marbles and difficulties for us. It’s always sad seeing a circuit go.
We get a holiday now in the summer which is quite nice, but it’s sad to see
it go, for sure. I don’t know the reasons behind it but for sure I will miss
the city, Montreal, probably more than the circuit.
KN: I think it’s very sad news as well…
JB: The steaks man, the steaks are good.
KN: … I think it’s very sad news as well. I raced there only once this year.
I think our car has been very competitive every time there, so it’s a bit of
a downside for our team for next year. Even though the circuit was breaking
up and there were a lot of problems, the race itself has always been very
exciting. As Jenson said, it’s good to have a summer break but at the same
time missing Canada is probably not the best thing.
TG: As everybody has said, it’s a shame we’ve lost Canada. For me, I had
really good memories every time. I scored two points in my first Formula One
race in Canada. I was on the podium in ChampCar and this year again I had a
really good result in position four. It was one of the best races on the
calendar and it’s a shame we will be missing it.
Q: (Yuki Ishihara – Sankei Sports) Kasuki-san, I saw you walking on the race
track this morning. Did you find anything interesting during your
inspection?
KN: Not really. I knew the track from 2005 and I don’t think it’s changed
much. They’ve put some artificial grass on the outside of turn three and the
entry of the pit lane. These two places are the only places that have been
changed, I think. We will see what is going to happen tomorrow. The track
walk reminded me how the track was and how to drive it. It’s going to be the
first time I drive it with an F1 car properly, so we will see.
Q: (MC) Have you done a lot of racing here in other formulae in the past?
KN: Only in 2005. I twice did Formula Three and twice Japanese GT and once
with a touring car in an endurance race, so I did quite a lot of races and
the results were pretty good sometimes. It will be exciting.
Q: (MC) Timo, you raced in Suzuka, have you raced here before?
TG: No, it’s the first time for me here and I’m looking forward to tomorrow
for the first laps. There are a couple of quite interesting corners, it will
be interesting to see how it goes. |
